Southport 1 - 3 Wrexham: Dragons reach FA Trophy semi-finals

WREXHAM are closer to Wembley than ever before.

This 3-1 FA Trophy win at Haig Avenue means only a semi-final divides them from their first visit to the home of football.

After a titanic effort to get the match on, the actual 90 minutes was easier for the Dragons who went ahead through Joe Clarke – his third in three games – and added to that through Chris Westwood and Jay Harris.

But former Dragon Shaun Whalley made it a little more difficult with a second-half penalty and boss Andy Morrell said: “It was a bit tricky at the end. We were really good for 60 minutes but they really put it on us after we conceded.

“We caused our own problems and in the end I was lucky to be in the next round.

“It’s a chance for us. Not many in this league will have a chance to play at Wembley, but it’s a bonus because getting out of this league is what we really need to do.”

Referee Michael Bull didn’t give Wrexham much last time he took charge of a Dragons game – sending off Danny Wright and Billy Barr in the win at Alfreton – but he did them a great favour letting this game go on at all.

The match survived the big thaw thanks to a great effort from volunteers and ground staff who started drying out the pitch at 8am.

Mr Bull bided his time and finally gave the go-ahead at 1pm with the Dragons team coach just pulling up.

Off it came Brett Ormerod, but he wasn’t deemed fit enough to even take the bench against the Sandgrounders, with Jay Harris replacing Kevin Thornton and Danny Wright coming in for Nick Rushton from the side that beat Sutton United 5-0 last time out.

Since then the Dragons have had an enforced hiatus due to the weather but they started well when the ball fell kindly to Rob Ogleby in the box but he couldn’t connect properly, before Danny Wright nearly got on the end of a long ball which deflected to him.

In an end-to-end cup tie, Harris cleared Andy Parry’s free-header from the corner and minutes later Mayebi took a huge chance when he chested down a long-ball and Owens nipped in, only for Martin Riley to clear the danger.

But the best chance of the game fell to Ogleby sprung the offside trap on 26 minutes but with only Tony McMillan to beat he skewed his shot well, well wide.

It didn’t matter. Minutes later Clarke started and finished a move involving both Wright and Johnny Hunt that the big midfielder nodded in almost on the line.

And it could have been even better when Wright rounded the keeper but couldn’t put it in from an acute angle, before Chris Westwood’s header was blocked from a corner.

Parry got on the end of another long throw but it bounced wide and after that scare it was all Wrexham as Wright went through but shot wide, Neil Ashton went close and James Smith had to clear off the line from corner that Dean Keates connected with.

But the second did come – and from a corner – when McMillan spilt a Chris Westwood header and could only watch it creep into the bottom corner.

Hunt’s corner nearly made it all the way through at the beginning of the second half and we’ll save Westwood’s embarrassment by not describing his shot just after (although it’s probably still travelling).

But back came Southport in a game that ebbed and flowed and Ashton had to make a brilliant saving header under his post from a Karl Ledsham cross, before the winger out-foxed Danny Alfei and fired a shot in at Mayebi’s mid-riff

Yet the third should have killed it, and it was a goal of simplistic beauty. Harris started it, mugging Godrey Poku on the run and playing a chipped ball that Keates collected and swung into the danger area. Ogleby may have missed it, but Harris didn’t.

It should have been four when sub Adrian Cielsewicz played in Hunt but his first-time effort was somehow saved by McMillan, before Simon Grand headed wide at the other end.

McMillan then got his body in the way of a Cieslewicz shot before Whalley fell at the vital moment after he got free from Westwood and Mayebi gathered his effort.

But they were rewarded when the pacey Whalley was brought down by Riley and the nippy winger converted the spot-kick.

After that the away side were rocking as Mayebi made another save from Whalley and Owens could only knock the rebound over with the keeper grounded.

With Southport throwing caution to the wind Wright burst through but Clarke scooped his effort over before dangerman Whalley hit yet another effort wide.

And with the kitchen sink coming in their direction, Mayebi somehow saved from Alan Moogan after Ashton’s poor chest down let him in, before Owens flashed a shot against the post.

Sub Steven Tames then hit wide with the goal gaping, but the whistle went with Wrexham riding their luck and the Wembley arch is closer in view.

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